Mechanical can-roller.



No. 876,291. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908. M. D. BLAKESLEE. MECHANICAL CAN ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED FEB.11, 1907.

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W VEFEEE V map/ 0g W X em TT W Y No. 876,291. PATENTED JAN. 7, 1908.

M. D. BLAKBSLEB. MECHANICAL .GAN ROLLER.

APPLICATION FILED 13.11, 1907.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

No.'876,291. PATENTED JAN. '7, 1908. M. D. BLAKESLEE. MECHANICAL CAN ROLLER.

APPLIUATION FILED PEB.11, 1907.

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UNITED snares PATEN ()FFIOE.

MERTON D. BLAKESLEE, OF OAZENOVIA, NEW YORK, ASSIGN OR OF ON E-FOURTH TO HENRY BURDEN, SECOND, OF OAZENOVIA, NEW YORK.

IMECHANICAL CAN-ROLLER.

Specification of Letters IPatent.

Patented Jan. 7, 1908.

Application filed February 11. 1907- Serial No. 356,876.

To all 'wh am it may concern.

Be it known that I, MERTON D. BLAKES- LEE, of Cazenovia, in the county of Madison, in the State of New York, have invented new and useful Im rovements in Mechanical Can- Rollers, of which the following, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings, is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mechanical can rollers, in which the cans may be promiscuously dumped or deposite in quantities, and are automatically separated or selected and fed by gravity, one by one, either by allowing them to slide endwise, or by rolling down a suitable incline or inclines, during which operation the cans are all finally ad 'usted or arranged to follow each other in a rolling position to a final discharge chute or-conveyer leading to the rightin device of the character described in one of my ending applications N 0. 337,319, filed Octoer 3, 1906. In other words, I have sought to provide a simple and ractical device into which the cans may be s oveled or dumped, and which will 0 erate to automatically adjust the cans and feed them one by one suc- 9 cessively in a rolling position to any suitable righting device where they may be brought to anupri ht position ready for filling.

Other objects and uses relating to the spe cific parts of my improved mechanical can roller will be brought out in the following description.

Figure 1 is a top plan of a mechanical canrolling and feeding device embodying the va rious features of my invention. Figs. 2 and 3 are respectively a side elevation and an end view of the device seenin Fig. 1 Fig. 4 is a perspective view, partly in section, of 1portions of the inclined chutes or guides a ong which the cans feed, in a sliding position, and by which they are finally brought to a rolling position, one following the other. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the vibratory portion of the hopper and its actuating mechanism. Fig. 6 1s a side view of a portion of the inclined can chute showing the mechanism for o erating the rotary agitator or sweep seen in ig. 2. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectivel top Ian and rear view of a portion of t e inclined chute showing the cantripping or selecting mechanismfor causing the cans to feed down the chute, one at a time.

The cans are shoveled, dumpedor otherwise deposited romiscuously in quantities upon an incline vertically vibratory hopper 1 wl1ioh is actuated or vibrated by suitable mechanism hereinafter described for causing the cans to feed by gravity into the upper end of a fixed ho per 2 having vertical front and rear wa s 3 and 3- s aced a art a distance somewhat greater than the diameter of the can, said hopper 2 being provided with oppositely inclined sides 4 and 5 converging downwardly, the inclined side 4 being extended be 0nd the plane'of the intersection of the inc ined side '5 for forming an inclined chute 6 extending downwardly and laterally some distance beyond the lower end of the inclined side 5 of the hopper 2, and also of substantially the same width from front to rear as the fixed hopper so that the cans which are agitated by the vertical vibration of the ho per section 1- are caused to gravitate a ong the inclined sides 4- and5 and into and along the chute 6.

It is obvious that by making the transverse width of the fixed hopper -2 and chute 6' substantially equal to or slightly'greater than the diameter of the can, such cans must necessarily slide alon the inclined bottoms of the hopper an chute either on their ends or sides, and in order to' facilitate the ravitation of the cans in this position the inclined bottom of the chute 6 is rather steep and terminates at its lower end in a comparatively short vertical chute 7 of substantially the same cross'sectional form and size as the chute 6 from which the cans are auto niatically discharged by gravity in a rolling position u on an additionally inclined chute 8, as est seen in Figs. 2, 3, and 4.

At the opposite sides or ends of the vibratory hopper section 1 are located two parallel shafts 9-. and 10, the shaft -9 being provided with a pulle 1 1 which may be connected to any ava' able source of power, not shown, for rotatin the shaft -9-, the latter being rovided with a sprocket wheel '12 whic is connected by a-linkbelt 13 to a'second sprocket wheel 14 on the shaft 10 and whereby rotary motion is transmitted from the shaft 9 to the shaft 10-. Each of these shafts 9- and -10- is prowhich are adapte vided with an eccentric -15 which is connected by links 16 to the front end of the vibratory hopper section 1 to vibrate the latter vertically, the rear-end of said hopper section -1 bein hinged at 17- to the front side -3 the ho per -6- This vibratory action of the opper section -1 agitates the cans thereon and causes them to be fed by gravity along the inclined bottom of said section into the upper end of the fixed hopper -6 and against the rear wall 3- hereof, which rear wall extends some distance above the adjacent end of the vibratory hopper section 1-, thereby forming a limiting stop for said cans, and causing them to slide vertically on end or endwise along the inclined bottoms 4- and 5- thereof. A large majority of the cans which are thus agitated and fed rea'rwardly by the vibration of the hopper section -1 will be caused to roll against the rear wall'or side 3 of the fixed hopper and in order that all of the cans may be automatically arranged lengthwise of the inclined bottoms .4 and 5 along which they are adapted to slide so as to enter second agitator consisting in this instance, of a sliding bar 18- which is guided in suitable bearings 19 on the upper edge of the rear wall 3 of the fixed hop er 2- and is. provided with a series of orwardly and downwardly to slide along the inner face of the rear wall 3 in the path of the cans as they are fed from er section -1 into theupper end ed be per 2 so that if any cans are presente endwise against the agitator finers 20 they are immediately deflected om this position by said fingers so as to fall u on the inclined guides +-4t and 5 either upon their ends or upon their sides, but always the narrowest way in their direc tion of movement or lengthwise of the guides-4 and -5- along which they slide This agitator consisting of the bar -'18- and fingers -19' is moved endwise by means of a lever-21'- and pin '22' which is mounted eccentrically upon a rotary disk 23' on the shaft -9and en aged with the lever -'-21 at one. side of its fulcrum, as 24, Whereby the move ment of. the a' itator' is synchronized with the action ofv t e vibrating hopper section -1-. w

The. inclined bottom ,5- terminates a sufficient distance above the inclined bottom to inclined bottom ''4, and in order to prevent any' con estion of the cans at this point,-I provi ea rotary sweep rotary shaft 27 and is movable through sprocket-wheel 32- (projecting fingers 2( the vnbratory ho of tl fe foremost upon permit the cans to easily.

slide-thereon in an upright position on the cessively deposited upon or agitator. arm -26 which is secured at one end to a an elon ated slot -28 in the rear side 3' of the fixed hopper -2- near its junction with the inclined chute 6, said rotary -2-6- moving in a plane a sufficient distance above the inclined bottom 4 to clear the cans when sliding on their ends along said inclined bottom, the purpose of this agitator arm 26 being to single the cans out and cause them to fall singly down the inclined chute 6. This shaft 27- is journaled in suitable bearings '29 at the rear side of the fixed hopper 2' and is driven by intermeshing gears -30 from a transverse shaft 31-, as best seen in Figs. 1, 2, 3 and 6.

The shaft '3'1 is provided with a which is connected by a link belt '33 to a companion sprocket wheel -34- on the shaft .10- from which the shaft 3l derives its motion.

As previouslystated, some of the cans will slide along the inclined bottom 4-, upon their ends, while others will similarly slide 'endwise upon their sides, the latter being 1n the position to which they must be brought before finally discharged from the lower terminal end of the chute 6? and in order that those which are sliding upon their ends may be automatically tripped or tilted to slide endwise upon their sides, 1 provide a pair of trip stops orabutm'ents '36 which are secured to the upper face of the inclined bottom of the'chute 6 a sufli cient distance above its lower terminal end to engage the lower-ends of the cans which may stand upright on the inclined bottom so that the momentum of such cans slidingalong said bottom will cause them to be tripped or tilted so as to lie lengthwise on the inclined bottom, in which position they slide from the lower terminal end onto a fixed abutment or rest '37-, forming a part of the bottom of the vertical chute '-7-, the tripping stops 0! abutments -36,being spaced apart'l'eaving an intervening passage sufficiently wide to permit the cans which are, sliding endwise down the chute to readily pass between the abutments so that 'all the cans which slide along the inclined'bottom of the chute 6 are discharged endwise, by'gravity upon the ledge I ledge 31 is naror shelf 37.-. This rower transversely than half the diameter of the can and is located in one side of the vertical chute 7 so that as the cans fall end said ledge they tilt by gravity laterally into the inclined chute 8-, which is directly under and at: one side of the ledge 37- In this manner the cans are suctheir sides, one by one, in rolling position in the inclined chute -,'8 which may extend to any suitable conveying or righting device, not shown," although the object of automatically arranging the cans in the manner just described, is

. ready to be filled.

e of the'cans one As a further means for regulating the feed by one along the inclined chute 6 I consisting of alternately acting reciprocatory pawls or plungers 40' and 41 which are guided in suitable openings in the rear side of the chute 6 and are pivotally connected to a lever 42 at opposite sides of its fulcrum 43, said lever being provided with a rearwardly projecting arm 44- which is connected by a link 45- to a pin 46-, the latter being secured eccentrically to a disk i7 on the shaft The plungers 40 and 4=1 are mov,

able into and out of the path of the cans as they slide along the chute 6 andare spaced apart in the direction of movement of said cans a distance substantially equal to one and a half diameters of the can so that as the cans slide down the incline, as shown in Fig. 7, while the plunger 40 is drawn back, the first can will engage the inwardly projecting plunger or stop 41- a sufficient distance above its bottom to prevent tilting of the can, thereby temporarily checking the movement'of the downwardly feeding cans until the lever 42 is operated to withdraw the plunger 41 from the path of the cans to advance the next succeeding can being engaged near, its center by the plunger 40- and forced against the yield ing bufier 46 where 'it is held until the first advancing can which has just been released by the withdrawal of the plunger 4l has moved beyond the latter plunger whereupon the next movement of the lever withdraws the plunger 40 from holdin engagement against the adjacent can an again advances the plunger -41 intothe path of the first downwardly feeding can when the operation is repeated, the lunger .40 being preferably yielding 'en wise to prevent j amming of the can engaged thereby.

In the operation of m invention, the cans are first dumped .or 0th considerable quantities uponthe vertically vibrating hopper-section 1' upon which they are agitated and caused to roll or slide into the upper end of the fixed hopper -2- which is ust wide enough transversely to easily receive the cans the narrowest way, while those which happen to be lodged crosswise of the opening are forced with their ends .against the agitator arms 20, which operate to deflect the adjacent ends of the cans laterally and to arrange them lengthwise of into which they drop, and together with the other cans which have provide a suitable escapement erwise deposited in.

previously rolled into the chute, slide down said chute to the regulator into engagement with one or the other of the regulator fingers or plungers 40- and 4:1. At this point the cans are separated and caused to feed one by one along the remaining portion of the chute 6, those which are sliding upon their sides endwise readily passing between the' shoulders 36-, While those which are sliding upon their ends encounter the steps 36, and the momentum of movement of such cans causes them to tilt or fall upontheir sides so that they, like the rest of the cans, which are sliding u on their sides continue to slide off from the ower terminal end of the chute -6 from which they drop in an u right position upon the ledge 37, this led ge being narrower than half and at one side of the diameter of the can causes said can to tilt therefrom to a horizontal rolling position and into'the guide 8- along which they rollor from which they may be fed to a suitable righting device, not shown. 7

What I claim is:

1-. In a mechanical can roller, a rece tacle into which the cans are promiscuous y deposited, an inclined can guide, mechanism r agitating and feeding the cans into saidv guide, additional mechanism for causing the cans to slide endwise alon said guide, a second inclined guide at the Fower terminal end of the first named guide, and means at the lower terminal end of the first named guide enga ed by the cans whereby said cans are tilted to a horizontally rolling position into the second guide.

2. In a mechanical-can roller, ahopper I having a vibrating inclined bottom upon which the cans are promiscuously deposited, means-for vibrating said bottom an inclined chute at the lower end of the inclined bottom of the hopper for receiving the cans discharged from said hopper a sliding bar having can righting fingers in thepath of the cans, and means for actuating said bar.

3. In a mechanical can roller, a hopper having a vertically vibratoryinclined bottom upon which the cans are promiscuously deposited in quantities, means for vibrating said bottom, an inclined chute at the lower end of the bottom for receiving the cans discharged therefrom a slidin bar having can righting fingers in the path of the cans as they pass from the hoppe means for actuatingsaid bar.

4. In a having an inclined bottom upon which the cans are deposited promiscuously in quantities, said hopper having an openin at the low end of the inclined hopper, a sli ing agitator movable along the low side of the hopper in the path of some of the cans, and means to operate the agitaton 5. In a mechanical can having an inclined bottom roller, a hopper and an upright wall spaced apart from the low end of the bottom forming an intervening can open ng at the low end of said bottom,

a reciprocatory agitator having fingers movable along the inhaving a vibratory inclined bottom an a fixed upright wall at the low end of said bottom and forming therewith an intervening space through which the cans may fall, means for vibrating said bottom, a reciprocatory agitator movable along the inside face of the upright wall in the path of some of the cans as they are fed from the inclined bottom, and means for agitating said agitator.

7. In a mechanical can roller, a hopper having a vertically movable inclined bottom section upon which the cans are adapted to 'be deposited promiscuously in quantities, .a rotary shaft, and means fortransmitting motion from said shaft to said'section, a sliding agitator at the low end of the vibratory section and means for transmitting motion from said shaft to the sliding agitator, said agitator being located in the path of some of the cans .as they are fed by gravity from the vibratory bottom section. v i w 8. In a mechanical can roller, a fixed chute for receiving the cans, means for feeding the cans in quantities into the upper end of the chute, a sliding can agitator in the upper end of said chute for engaging and arranging the cans the narrowest way in the chute and means for actuating said agitaton.

9. In amechanical can roller, a hopper into which the cans are deposited prormscuously in quantities, an inclined chute leading from the mouth of the hopper, means to cause the cans to slide upon their sides along the chute, and a rotary sweep at the junction of the hopper with'the chute to agitate and prevent 7 congestion of the cans at this junction, and

means to rotate the sweep.

10. In a mechanical can roller, an inclined can chute along which thecans slide, means acting upon the cans which slide'by gravity along said chute to cause them to slide endwise one by one therefrom, and means for shifting the cans-from a sliding to a rolling position as they are discharged from the chute. v

11. In a mechanical can roller, an inclined chute'along which the cans are adapted to slide on end, and fixed abutments or tripping stops on the bottom of the chute adapted to be engaged by the end of the can which rests upon said bottom, whereby the canis caused to tilt end foremost on its side.

12. In a mechanical can roller, an inclined chute and means to feed the cans thereinto, whereby some of the cans will slide down the chute endwise', while others will slide down the chute on their end, fixed tripping stops in the chute spaced apart to permit those cans which are sliding endwise to pass between them, said stops bein adapted to be engaged by the lower ends 0 the cans which are sliding on their ends, are tripped and caused to their own momentum.

' 13. In a mechanical can roller, an inclined chute into which the cans are fed, some of said cans sliding on their s'des endwise, and others tilt forwardly by sliding on their ends sidewise, fixed stops in the bottom of the chute for trippingv the cans which are on ends to cause them to fall upon their sides, a pair-of plungers movable transversely of the chute into and out of the path of the cans, and means for moving said plungers simultaneously in opposite directions, whereby when one plunger'is presented to the cans the other is withdrawn.

141 In a mechanical'can roller, an inclined chute into-which the cans are-fed, some of the cans sliding on their sides endwise, and others sliding on their ends sidewise, a pair of pluners movable transversely of the chute into and out of the -ath of the cans, and means for moving sai plungers simultaneously in opposite directions, ger is presented to the cans the other is withdrawn, and a yieldin buffer at the side of the chute opposite to tIiat through which the lungers are movable to form a yielding bufer against which one of the cans is forcedby one of the plungers when the preceding can is liberated. 1

1-5. In a mechanical can roller, an inclined chute and a verticalchute at the lower terminal end of the inclined chute, said vertical chute having a ledge at one side and of less transverse width than the bottom of a can whereby such cans whereby when one plum-- whereby as each can falls from the lower end means for receiving and retaining the cans in this position. 1 y In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand this 8th day of February 1907.

' MERTON D. BLAKESLEE.

Witnesses:

H. E. CHASE, C. M. MCCORMAGK. 

